Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs

A little sweet, a little spicy…..Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs are the most fabulous dinner you’ll ever make. Slow roasted in the oven, Instant Pot or slow cooker, this braised short ribs recipe is one for the record books.

Give me a shout out in the comments if you live in the Northeast so we can give each other a huge virtual hug for getting through TWO Noreasters in less than a week? 🙂 Well, technically…I wasn’t here for the first one because I was busy flitting around San Francisco but I was here for this one and, actually, it was quite the bust for our area. Schools were cancelled and we didn’t really get as much as was expected. But if it hadn’t snowed I wouldn’t have made one of the best recipes ever….with things I had just around the kitchen. Except for the short ribs, I bought them with my bread, eggs and milk the day before the “storm”. I didn’t plan to make these Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs but I’ve been feeling totally inspired by the food world recently and since I don’t have a ton of sponsored work at the moment I’ve been able to just play around in the kitchen. Which is good for all of us…because things like these amazing short ribs are created.

To be totally honest…I haven’t made short ribs in years. My husband says he doesn’t like them, I don’t know why. He doesn’t know why…but just not to have to hear him whine about it though dinner I make other things and usually stay clear of short ribs. But for some reason when I saw the last two packs of BONE IN Short Ribs at the store the other day I had to snag them for our epic snowstorm that wasn’t more than a few inches of snow. I decided to make them with a Mexican twist and had a ton of canned chipotle chiles in the pantry. Honey, chili powder, cumin, hatch chilis….they ended up making the most amazing sauce ever for these Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs. Rich, tangy, sweet, spicy, smokey….all the flavors you’d want in a classic comfort dish. I shared the whole deal over on my Instastories.

These Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs can be made in the oven or the slow cooker…..and in a few weeks when I can find some spare time (ha ha ha ha ha), I’ll share an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker adaptation. They’d be fabulous with any of the cooking methods but I just prefer to keep it old school in my favorite Le Creuset braisier and my oven. There’s just something so nostalgic about roasting in the oven on a cold snowy day. And while the slow cooker and Instant Pot are equally great methods to make these short ribs….I like the truly one pot deal with the oven roasting. The browning and sautéing all happens right in the same pot. And unless you have a fancy crock pot with a stove top safe insert, you’re going to be doing a few more dishes than necessary.

A lot of times I tell you to make sure your beef is room temperature before you begin cooking but to be honest, I removed the short ribs from the fridge about 2 minutes before I put them in the searing hot oil. They were still amazing and tender and juicy. So, you can totally skip that step since you’re braising them for a while anyway. And if you’re not a fan of the whole spicy thing…you can totally adjust the heat level by leaving out a chili or two…..or just skip this recipe altogether and make my original Braised Short Ribsfrom ages ago instead. It’s equally amazing but with more of an Italian feel. They’re both fabulous piled on top of a mountain of mashed potatoes. And your leftover short ribs BELONG in this grilled cheese sandwich. So, save one or two for the occasion. How many weeks left until grilling season?

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season each short rib generously with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or braisier over medium heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side cooking in batches, if necessary. Do not overcrowd pan.

When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, transfer them to a platter. (If using the slow cooker, transfer ribs to the slow cooker or crock pot at this point.)

Drain all but two tablespoons of the fat, add the onions and cook until softened. Stir in the carrots and celery, continue cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the brown bits. Lower the heat and reduce the mixture by half.

Stir in the tomatoes, beef stock and honey. Bring the mixture to a boil and return the short ribs to the pan bone side up. Place the lid on the pot and transfer to the oven. Roast the short ribs for 1 1/2 hours or until the ribs are tender but not falling off the bone. (If using the slow cooker, do not return the ribs to the pot but pour the sauce mixture over the ribs in the slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours.)

Return the pot to the stove top over medium heat. Remove the lid and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue to cook for 20 minutes or until the sauce reduces slightly.

Whisk together the butter and cornstarch until smooth. Transfer the short ribs to a platter and cover to keep warm. (This method is the same for the slow cooker or crock pot.)

Stir in the butter mixture and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and return the ribs to the pot turning to coat.

Serve immediately with 1/2 cup of sauce.

Recipe Notes

Braised short ribs can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and store in the refrigerator. To reheat, warm in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Unrate

welcome to the suburban soapbox!

My name is Kellie and I’m a former cubicle dweller turned recipe developer, blogger, food photographer, and brand ambassador. Lover of wine, anything swimming in butter, cloaked in chocolate or covered in sprinkles!